Actinidia chinensis plant named ‘W45’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Actinidia chinensis  cultivar named ‘W45’ is disclosed, characterized by having distinctive yellow/green flesh fruit and a season harvest time of Mid-April. Additionally, the new variety produces fruit with very soft, slight pubescence and with a distinctive blunt stylar end shape and square shoulders. The new variety is suitable for commercial production of kiwi fruit.

Latin name of the genus and species: Actinidia chinensis.

Variety denomination: ‘W45’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program, begun in1975 under the direction of the inventor, Donald Alfred Skelton, acitizen of New Zealand. The seed parent is the unpatented, proprietaryseedling variety referred to as Actinidia chinensis ‘R55’ The pollenparent is the unpatented, proprietary seedling variety referred to asActinidia chinensis ‘CMW85 .’

Fruit of the new variety was first evaluated in 2001 with favorableresults. After the first evaluation, semi-hardwood cuttings were made of‘W45’ and were grafted onto 5 seedling rootstocks 3; of A. chinensis and2 of A. deliciosa. Evaluation, asexual propagation and grafting allfirst took place at the inventor's commercial nursery in Rangiriri, NewZealand in 2001. Subsequent evaluations of the variety have shown thecharacteristics to be true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘W45’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, day length, and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘W45’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘W45’ as a new and distinct Actinidia chinensiscultivar:

-   -   1. Distinctive yellow/green flesh fruit    -   2. Seasonal harvest time of mid April    -   3. Very soft, downy pubescence on fruit, with weak adherence to        the fruit skin.    -   4. Widely obovate fruit shape.    -   5. Fruit with a distinctive blunt stylar end shape and square        shoulders.

COMPARISON TO PARENT

Plants of the new cultivar ‘W45’ are similar to plants of the seedparent, Actinidia chinensis ‘R55’ in most horticultural characteristics,however, plants of the new cultivar ‘W45’ produce larger size fruit, ofa more greenish hue. Additionally, the new variety has new foliageemerging typically six weeks earlier than ‘R55.’

Plants of the new cultivar ‘W45’ are similar to plants of the pollenparent, Actinidia chinensis ‘CMW85’ in most horticulturalcharacteristics, however, plants of the new cultivar ‘W45’ producesignificantly more female flowers than the male parent. Whereas the newcultivar produces large quantities of female flowers, the male parentproduces almost no viable female flowers.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

The new variety is best compared to the commercial variety, ‘Hort16A,’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,066. ‘W45’ is similar to ‘Hort16A’ in manyhorticultural characteristics, however, ‘W45’ produces fruit withyellow/green flesh coloration whereas ‘Hort16A’ produces fruit of agolden yellow. Additionally, the new variety produces a widely obovateshaped fruit, compared to ovoid. Fruit of the new variety ‘W45’ aredistinctively blunt on the stylar end, compared to the strong pointedstylar end shape of ‘Hort16A.’ Fruit shape differences can also be notedin the shoulder shape. Whereas ‘W45’ produces fruit with stronglysquared shoulder, ‘Hort16A’ fruit have rounded shoulders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color typicalfoliage and flowers on plants of ‘W45.’

FIG. 2 illustrates in full color typical flowers of ‘W45.’

FIG. 3 shows examples of typical fruit harvested from ‘W45.’

FIG. 4 shows a cross section of fruit from ‘W45.’

All photographs were taken of an approximately 7 year old plant. Thephotographs were taken using conventional techniques and although colorsmay appear different from actual colors due to light reflectance it isas accurate as possible by conventional photographic techniques.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe ‘W45’ plants grown under outdoor commercialtrial conditions in Rangiriri New Zealand. The growing temperatureranged from 10° C. to 25° C. with no precipitation. Measurements andnumerical values represent averages of typical plant types.

-   Botanical classification: Actinidia chinensis ‘W45.’

PROPAGATION

‘W45’ can be successfully grafted onto rootstocks of Actinidia chinensisor Actinidia deliciosa.

PLANT

-   -   -   Age of the plant described.—Approximately 7 years.        -   Sex expression.—Female.        -   Ploidy.—Female.        -   Vigor.—Moderate. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the            highest ‘W45’ is a comparative 4 among commercial Actinidia            varieties.        -   Young shoot color.—Near RHS Green 137C.        -   Young shoot texture.—Smooth, non-pubescent and no visible            lenticels.        -   Stem diameter.—Average 1 cm.        -   Stem texture.—Rough.        -   Trunk diameter.—Average 5 cm on a 7 year old plant.        -   Stem lenticels.—Stem lenticels either not present or barely            visible to the eye.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:    -   -   Average length.—Range between 16–18.5 cm.        -   Average width.—Range between 19–23 cm.        -   Shape of blade.—Broadly ovate.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Cordate, not overlapping.        -   Attachment.—Petioled.        -   Margin.—Ciliate.        -   Texture of top surface.—Very lightly puckered,            non-pubescent.        -   Texture of under side.—Moderately glossy, non-pubescent.        -   Color.—Mature foliage upper side: Near RHS Green 137A.            Mature foliage under side: Near RHS Green 141B.        -   Petiole.—Length: Range between 8–18 cm. Pubescence: None.            Color: Near RHS Yellow-Green 145A with a strong flush of Red            53C on upperside of petiole.

FLOWER

-   -   -   Flowers per inflorescence.—Most often 2 or 3.        -   Bud color.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 145A.        -   Bud break.—Mid August.        -   First flower.—Early October.        -   Diameter.—Approximately 5 to 7 cm.        -   Petal quantity.—5 or 7 per flower.        -   Petals overlapping.—Yes.        -   Color.—Near RHS White 155A.        -   Filament color.—White.        -   Anther color.—Brown.        -   Attitude of styles.—Semi-erect.        -   Style color.—Near RHS White 155A.        -   Style quantity.—Average 18.        -   Hair on ovary.—Dense.        -   Color of ovary.—White.        -   Number of sepals.—Approximately 5 to 7.        -   Color of sepals.—RHS Yellow-Green 144C.        -   Sepal width.—Approximately 0.9 cm.        -   Sepal length.—Approximately 1.3 cm.        -   Sepal texture.—Smooth.

-   Peduncle:    -   -   Length.—Average 7.8 cm.        -   Color.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 145A.        -   Texture.—Smooth.

FRUIT

-   -   -   Color outer pericarp.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 145B.        -   Color inner pericarp.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 145B.        -   Core color.—Near RHS White 155C.        -   Brix at consumption.—16.5.        -   Brix at harvest.—7.00%.        -   Average weight.—124 grams.        -   Minimum weight.—104 grams.        -   Maximum weight.—135 grams.        -   Length.—Avg. 65 mm.        -   Width.—Avg. 57 mm.        -   Core diameter (maximum).—18 mm.        -   Core diameter (minimum).—10 mm.        -   Locule number.—30.        -   Fruit peduncle length.—51 mm.        -   Fruit peduncle width.—3.1 mm.        -   General shape.—Broad ovoid.        -   Median cross section.—Circular.        -   Stylar end shape.—Slightly blunt.        -   Shoulder shape.—Squared.        -   Calyx ring.—Present.        -   Calyx ring expression.—Strong.        -   Skin color at harvest.—Near RHS Yellow-Green 144A.        -   Hair on fruit skin.—Downy.        -   Hair adherence to skin.—Weak.        -   Skin adherence to flesh at maturity.—Moderate.        -   Fruit core shape.—Transversely eliptic.        -   Core-woody spike.—Medium.        -   Lenticels on fruit.—Not present.        -   Mature seed color.—Black.        -   Dried seed.—Brown.        -   Harvest time.—Mid April.        -   Overall cropping quantity.—Heavy.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Storage life: Storage life is a minimum of 3 months at 2° C.-   Disease/pest resistance: Neither resistance nor susceptibility to    pathogens and pests common to Actinidia chinensis have been    observed.-   Temperature tolerance: Tolerates low temperatures to approximately    −8° C. without negative effects, tolerates high temperatures to    approximately 35° C. without negative effects.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Actinidia chinensis plant named ‘W45’as herein illustrated and described.